In an unprecedented move, President Putin of Russia announced that Viktor Orban´s institution – the Government of the Socialist Republic of Hungary – needs to shut down its campus in Russia and move out. The news come as Russia´s Duma recently passed a law forbidding foreign-funded institutions to operate within the country´s borders.

“Let us be clear now. Orban´s institution could in theory continue activity in its Kremlin campus but this is conditioned by the Hungarian Government actually operating a campus also in the country where it receives financing from, so Hungary. Unfortunately for Mr. Orban, this is not the case” said Mr. Putin for Crimea TV+ earlier today.

It is well known that the Hungarian Government receives 5 billion euros from the EU and other billions of euros from the Hungarian taxpayers, despite of operating solely as a branch of the Kremlin and being physically based in Moscow. Mr. Putin´s move is part of recent pieces of legislation directed at modernising the country, increasing political accountability and strengthening the rule of law . Although Putin himself was financed by Mr. Orban´s institution in 1956 for a diplomatic internship in Budapest, the relationship between the two seem to have cooled down in last years, as Mr. Putin took a U-turn from totalitarianism to democracy.

“Putin is just acting in an unacceptably democratic way and targets specifically this government, he knows we cannot possibly start operating in Europe on such a short notice, they are too liberal and progressive there. The Hungarian Government has been a central instrument in crushing of the rule of law and democracy in the region but it seems this is not aligning with Putin´s plans anymore” Mr. Orban told The Berlin Group, stressing that the fight is not over and he will be seeking support in Beijing.